A view from the cycle path: How wide is your cyclepath ?

Friday, 25 February 2011

How wide is your cyclepath ?

When I say that cycle paths here are quite often 4 m wide, I'm quite sure that a lot of people don't believe me.

An amusing way of demonstrating this occurred to me on Saturday. I put my bike sideways on a cycle path which is being resurfaced (so officially out of use, not that this stops many people) in a position where it wouldn't get in the way due to the pile of tiles for resurfacing the pedestrian path, but would demonstrate the width.

As you'll see, if it were possible to ride your bike sideways along here, it would still also be possible for someone to ride in the same manner in the opposite direction without any danger of crashing...

There was a little confusion, so I've added another photo, showing the same spot from the opposite direction. Here you can more clearly see the pedestrian path alongside the cycle path. It's been dug up in the first photo. Also you can see how a temporary dropped kerb was made to allow easy cycle access to the recommended detour route.

And why this cycle path ? It's nothing special as such, but it's part of the most direct route for us to the city centre so I come along here often. I took photos when I saw it was being improved.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...: It would be nice to have cycle paths like yours here (London).
Unfortunately we have no thing and probably never will. :(; 25 February 2011 at 01:47
OldGreyBeard said...: How you torture us!

Excellent blog. Keep up the good work.; 25 February 2011 at 10:52
Unknown said...: Is that strictly a cycle path or can pedestrians use it as well?

The closest thing we have in my city is a multi-use pathway which is slightly smaller than that.; 25 February 2011 at 12:30
David Hembrow said...: Ryan: It's a cycle path. The pile of tiles which my bike is next to is for resurfacing the pedestrian path which is dug up at the side.

The black surface is the first layer of asphalt. This will soon have a second layer of red asphalt on top. Underneath, there's about 20-30 cm of foundation.; 25 February 2011 at 12:34
John in NH said...: For those that really want to see different widths, a quick journey in Google Earth is quite wonderful. One can measure bi-directional, single directional, shared roads, on road bike lanes, dimensions and all sorts of stuff!

The best we get over here are wide multi-use paths/trails that only marginally go where you want them, and a rarely if ever faster. Plus you have to deal with the jogger on their headphones that could make a sudden turn and run into you...

Designers never have issues making a huge highway for anticipated use, but the moment you suggest a large bikeway for anticipated use all hell breaks out...; 25 February 2011 at 16:46
Robert Guico said...: Goodness. I do believe there are alleys in Chicago that aren't that wide, and require someone to back up to pass.

In any event, to answer the question, 2.5m (10 feet) seems to be the standard around here, occasionally narrowing to 2.2m (8 feet). Comfortably wide enough to provide for the volumes of foot/bike traffic we see in the western suburbs.

Incidentally, on my drive to work today (owing to yet more snow last night that looks icy to ride on), I noticed that today marked the beginning of cross-country running for the local high school.

I don't think any width of sidepath would be enough to accommodate the 'preferences' of where and how 16-year-old track runners choose to run. :-) Time to break out the air horn...; 25 February 2011 at 17:10
Micheal Blue said...: The main east-west multiple-use path (it's not just for bikers) in Toronto along the shore of Lake Ontario is about that wide, too. I'm very fortunate to live close to it and take it to work. Unfortunately this wide path is an exception, rather than the rule.
It needs resurfacing now, too. It's full of cracks and potholes.; 25 February 2011 at 18:32
hercule said...: Wide enough for my Kettwiesel trike then - there's a bridge on a local cycle path which only just fits my Kett's width without clipping the kerbs at the side. I have to ride slowly enough so that I don't drift a couple of centimetres out of line. Not good if I meet someone going the other way! And the Kett is only about 80cm wide...; 25 February 2011 at 21:59
christhebull said...: Ah, but our British cycle paths are designed to make the rider feel familiar with an off road environment by incorporating elements of road riding. Hence, the chicanes and bollards are intended to replicate the delicate manoeuvring required to filter between lanes of stationary traffic, and the ridiculous slaloms from pavement to road and vice versa are intended to legitimise what BMX riders do anyway. Or something. Who am I kidding? ;p; 26 February 2011 at 16:42
Cottenham Cyclist said...: David, I hope you don't mind, I've used the first photo in my blog to compare against my local cyclepath (near Cambridge). I have linked to here so people know where it came from. Let me know if its a problem or if you would like something changed.

See here: Cottenham to Histon cyclepath; 12 March 2011 at 13:22
David Hembrow said...: Hi Cottenham Cyclist, I don't mind at all if people use my photos if they also give credit and a link, as you did.

I used the Cottenham to Histon cyclepath myself when I lived in Cambridge. It's really awful. I also used to quite regularly ride on the road instead to avoid the terrible cycle path. If you can draw attention to the problem and get something done about it, that would be a very good thing.; 12 March 2011 at 13:27
Darren Alff said...: Wow! Those are some wide bike paths. They look more like streets with giant people on them than they do the bike paths I am used to seeing.; 5 April 2011 at 21:28

Posts sorted by subject

The positive stuff
Three types of safety - As well as preventing injuries and death, high quality cycling infrastructure addresses both subjective safety and social safety which are of vital importance in encouraging people to cycle.
A second revolution took place on Dutch streets in the late 20th century, transforming streets which were just as clogged by cars as those of other nations.
Pedestrians are well catered for in the Netherlands and pedestrianized shopping streets are common. Usually they allow cycling for access.
Dutch Safety Figures - Cyclists in the Netherlands are the safest in the world, but it has little if anything to do with "safety in numbers".
Sustainable safety - the principles which have lead to Dutch roads, streets and cycle-paths being safe.
A million per hour - The scale of cycling in the Netherlands is enormous. Dutch people make more cycle journeys each day than the entire English speaking world put together.
Campaigning - a collection of posts about how to campaign for more cycling. Primarily campaigning should be for children to be able to cycle. These links include reference to "Stop the child murder", a successful campaign from the 1970s.
What Works - examples of policy, infrastructure and campaigning which have made a different in the Netherlands.
Superhighways - "Cycling superhighways" are not a new idea in the Netherlands
Cycle Paths - Well designed cycle paths benefit all cyclists, regardless of experience or speed
Segregation without cycle paths - you don't always need a cycle path to keep cyclists safe from motorists
Unravelling of routes is vitally important
History - how the Netherlands got to where it is now. See especially "Stop the child murder"
Before and After - views of places before and after they have been transformed for cycling
Directness - examples of prioritising cycling
Traffic Lights - examples of how cyclists can be prioritised and kept safe at traffic light junctions. Note that it's almost always possible to turn right on a red light when cycling in the Netherlands.
Roundabouts - roundabouts in the Netherlands have one very important feature to learn from: They keep cyclists away from motor vehicles. This is far more important than the differences in geometry vs. roundabouts in other countries.
Exceptional infrastructure is always nice to see, but remember that a dense network of mundane routes is far more important to boost cycling modal share
Gritting of cycle paths - dealing with snow and ice.
Children - It may seem hackneyed, but children really are the future. If they can't cycle safely then where will future adult cyclists come from ? This is why children should be the primary focus of campaigners. Note also that according to UNICEF, Dutch children are the happiest in the world.
School travel - Everyone knows that Dutch children cycle to school, but it's a surprise to many people that school trips are also usually by bike.
Cycle Parking - including our favourite design of stand.
Cycle Parking at railway stations, see in particular Groningen and Assen as each have multiple posts showing how the cycle parking has grown over time.
Health effects of cycling
Road Works - It's important that cyclists are thought of when there are road works. If the environment becomes hostile for cyclists then they may stop cycling and never start again.
Commuting - Commuting cyclists are interesting, but they're not the only people who should ride bikes.
Anatomy of a reliable everyday bicycle - the common features of bikes used by nearly every person every day in the Netherlands.
Speed - Some people have the idea that Dutch cyclists are slow. This isn't true. It is just that in the Netherlands, everyone cycles, including the slow people. Fast cyclists are as fast as anywhere. These posts show people who ride faster than average, using the same infrastructure as those who ride slower.

The less positive stuff
What not to do if you want a cycling "revolution" - Long list of interventions and policies which are not helpful.
Copy the best examples from the Netherlands - a short list summarising the above. Important to copy the best examples, not just anything "Dutch". Bear in mind that the Netherlands is not perfect.
Shared Space - this much hyped idea simply does not work well. It disenfranchises the vulnerable and claims of safety are exaggerated. Don't confuse the concept with far more successful nearly car free streets.
Shared Use Paths designed to be used by pedestrians and cyclists together. These rarely work well because the two user groups are too different and it leads to conflicts. They are not built in the Netherlands (but cycle access to pedestrianized zones is good).
Strict (or presumed) liability - If you think this is an important part of why people cycle in the Netherlands then it is probably not what you think it is.
Helmets - one of several ways of scaremongering about the supposed dangers of what is actually a very safe means of transport

Myths about cycling

Long list of myths and Excuses - Various reasons that many people, even existing cyclists, give for why the cycling rate is low in their country, including:
  "our streets are too narrow"
  "it's too expensive"
  "our population is too spread out"
  "we have hills
  "our distances are too great"
  "it took decades in the Netherlands"
  "it's because of the price of gas"
  "it's the weather"
  "Cycle-paths cause indirect journeys"
  "Cycle-paths make people slow"
Cycling is "booming" in Britain - a claim we hear remarkably frequently, but it'll take a lot more than the action taken now before it will be true.
The Truth about Copenhagen - Pretty pictures and nice branding are all very well, but facts are important too. Denmark has no explanation of why the cycling modal share is falling in Copenhagen. The Netherlands has avoided this problem and sets a much better example of how to achieve a high cycling rate.
The Truth about Cambridge - Cambridge in the UK has made claims of being a true cycling city. The city does have the highest cycling rate in the English speaking world, but there are special reasons for its high cycling rate which cannot be copied elsewhere. Most people don't talk about this. I do.
London Superhighways - Unfortunately, London seems to be having trouble coming to grips with the idea of prioritizing cyclists.
Boris Bikes - London's bike share scheme, just like others worldwide, lacks the capacity to make any real change, and makes up for it with hype.